If one were to only play the base game of Marvel Legendary one could think that the acclaimed tabletop game is way too easy. After all, the base game Masterminds are Dr.Doom, Magneto, Loki and Red Skull who are big bads in the Marvel Universe but are super easy to take out.

Once you start purchasing expansions for the game however, players will quickly realize that there are some masterminds who will pound you into the dirt whether you let them or not. Whether it be because of annoying protection effects, instant-win conditions or Master Strikes that will ruin your strategy, here’s the 10 hardest Masterminds in Marvel Legendary.

It is important to note that difficulty of the Masterminds will vary depending on the chosen Scheme

10 Maria Hill

On the surface, Maria Hill doesn’t seem to be strong of a mastermind. After all, she has the same strength as Red Skull who is considered the weakest in the game. However, her protection and Master Strike make her one of the hardest in the game.

Because of her “Double SHIELD Clearance”, players have to discard two SHIELD cards from their hand if they want to attack her. This means that your decks will be weaker when fighting Maria Hill as you will likely want to keep your starter cards instead of KOing them. If that wasn’t enough protection, you can’t fight her as long as any SHIELD Elite villains or Officers are in the city. Her weak attack balances her out, but good luck landing a blow on Hill.

9 Authoritarian Iron Man

While Iron Man is one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe, he is also one of the most powerful villainous Masterminds in Marvel Legendary. With a decently strong 12 attack, Authoritarian Iron Man would be a decent challenge with that alone but his Master Strike is brutal.

When he “Fortifies” a city space, villains in that space get +3 attack and worse of all, you can’t hit Iron Man as long as there’s a villain in the space. Players will have to constantly look out for Master Strikes and keeping the city clear if they want to take out the Golden Avenger.

8 Deathbird

A lesser-known villain compared to others on the list, Deathbird is an X-Men villain who constantly tries to usurp the throne of her homeworld from her sister Lilandra. In Marvel Legendary, players would do well to fight her with caution.

Although she starts at a paltry 8 attack, she grows quickly as she gets +1 attack for each Shi’ar villain in the city and escape pile. Considering you must include two Shi’ar groups of baddies when fighting her, this piles up quickly. Not only that, but her Master Strikes give out wounds and places massive 7 attack villains in the city which buff her further. Don’t take this alien lightly.

7 Zombie Green Goblin

One of two alternate versions of Green Goblin to appear as Masterminds in Marvel Legendary, Zombie Green Goblin is definitely the stronger of the two.

This comes down to two factors. His Master Strike is among the most brutal with the power to resurrect villains from his “Deadlands” group and KOing the rare cards from the HQ. Players also may have to discard cards and finally, Goblin’s respectable 11 attack can also grow depending on the heroes in the KO pile. Many of his villain group can also ascend to become Masterminds themselves so good luck with these undead evils.

6 Galactus

Galactus is known as one of the most powerful forces in Marvel Comics and his power is on full display in Marvel Legendary.

While his insane 20 attack can be reduced if players reveal heroes of a specific class, that’s not what makes Galactus powerful. His Master Strike completely destroys city spaces entirely! This makes it so villains escape the city faster and any villain that was currently in a destroyed space escapes automatically. Furthermore, Galactus wins regardless of the scheme if all city spaces are destroyed. Never has the nickname “Destroyer Of Worlds” been more appropriate.

5 Thanos

Thanks to Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thanos has ascended to the top of pop culture relevance when speaking of big bads. He is an absolute behemoth in Marvel Comics and he flexes his muscle in Marvel Legendary with the highest printed attack on any card with a mind-blowing 24 attack.

Even with the caveat of losing 2 attack for every Infinity Gem controlled by a player isn’t enough to make Thanos a pushover. Even worse, his tactics can disrupt player strategies thanks to his “Bound Souls” pile which grows with each Master Strike. Pray for mercy when facing Thanos.

4 King Hyperion

One of several Superman stand-ins in the Marvel Universe, King Hyperion leads a parody of the Justice League who believe they’re the planet’s only hope at a future and rule with an iron fist.

Unlike any other Mastermind, King Hyperion enters the city when his Master Strike is triggered and pushes any other villain and himself three spaces forward. Once he escapes he also gives every player a wound. With that effect and 12 attack, King Hyperion is a menace. Combine him with schemes that revolve around villains escaping and you will cry.

3 Apocalypse

A third of the insane X-Men Mastermind trinity, Apocalypse was introduced in the very first expansion of the game but the terror he inspires in players lasts over 7 years later.

Right off the bat, any Four Horsemen villain gets 2+ attack in addition to their high base attacks. Apocalypse also wins if one of each of those villains escape. His Master Strike can also ruin your turn but that’s not the real reason he’s here. One of his tactics called “Immortal And Undefeated” will shuffle itself back into his deck unless it’s the final tactic. This is the most brutal card players can come across as it means you’ve likely wasted a turn. Beware when facing him.

2 Onslaught

Fans of the Marvel Vs. Capcom series may recognize this fearsome X-Men villain from the 90s and shudder at the memories of sinking in tons of quarters to beat him in the arcade. Well, don’t worry; he’s even harder in Marvel Legendary.

While his 10 attack isn’t too strong, he will quickly become stronger because of his “Dominate” keyword which gives him plus one attack for each hero he dominates. He will dominate heroes from Master Strikes, his villain group and his tactics so players never have room to breathe Worst of all though is that your standard hand size is permanently set to 5 instead of 6 for the whole game. This fusion of Charles Xavier and Magneto’s darkest desires is a juggernaut that is almost impossible to stop.

1 Dark Phoenix

As the host of one of the deadliest forces in the Marvel Universe, Dark Phoenix is appropriately a contender for the toughest villain in Marvel Legendary.

Not only is her villain group the “Hellfire Club” stupidly strong with a villain that automatically becomes a new Mastermind as soon as he’s played, but her Master Strike is enough to make Wolverine cry. It’s entirely possible that you can lose the game before you ever get going with how fast she can KO the hero deck entirely regardless of the scheme. You will need your smartest strategies and strongest heroes to beat this creature of destruction.

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